The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Research Grants for Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees / Cotutelle let doctoral candidates do a bi-national doctorate at their home university and at a university in Germany, with funding for research stays in Germany of 7 to 24 months. Grant holders receive €1,400 per month while in Germany, plus insurance, travel allowances and a €460 research allowance. For applicants from the 40 countries listed below, the application deadline is 16 November 2026, with funding beginning in 2027. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the full DAAD announcement and set out each option, benefit, requirement and document below.
Programme Essentials
🏛️ Funder: DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst)
🎓 Level: Doctoral degree (bi-national supervision or Cotutelle)
👤 Status: Graduates and Doctoral candidates/PhD students
⏳ Funding duration: 7 to a maximum of 24 months
💶 Monthly payment: €1,400 during stays in Germany
🔬 Research allowance: €460
🗓️ Funding start: 2027
📆 Deadline: 16 November 2026 for all 40 countries listed in this article
🖥️ Application: Online through the DAAD portal
Two Routes to a Bi-national Doctorate
The programme offers the opportunity to do a bi-national doctoral degree at your home university and at a university in Germany. There are two possible options.
Option A: Doctorate With Bi-national Supervision (Sandwich Model)
Your doctoral project is supervised by a university teacher both at your home university and at the host institute in Germany. Your project must be agreed with both supervisors according to the following procedure:
1️⃣ You start your doctoral degree in your home country
2️⃣ This is followed by research trips to Germany
3️⃣ You complete your doctorate in your home country and are also supervised by the German academic adviser
4️⃣ Your home university awards the doctoral degree
Option B: Doctorate Following the Cotutelle Procedure
Funding is provided for doctoral projects carried out at the home university and at a university in Germany according to the Cotutelle model. This is based on a cooperation agreement concluded individually for your doctoral project by the participating universities. After you successfully complete your doctorate, the German university and your home university award the doctoral degree jointly.
Who Can Apply for Each Option?
🥪 Option A, sandwich model: you can apply if you have earned a Master's degree or Diplom (or, in exceptional cases, a Bachelor's degree) at the latest at the start of the funding period
🤝 Option B, Cotutelle model: you can apply if you have been admitted to a doctoral programme at the latest at the start of the funding period
What Can Be Funded?
🏫 Option A: research stays at a state or state-recognised institution of higher education or a non-university research institute in Germany, as part of a doctoral programme in the home country
🎓 Option B: research stays at a state or state-recognised institution of higher education in Germany, allowing doctoral students to complete a thesis that is supervised and carried out bi-nationally on the basis of an individually concluded cooperation agreement
How Long the Funding Lasts
⏳ Funding is provided for between 7 and a maximum of 24 months
📅 Grants can initially be awarded for a maximum of 24 months
📝 Your academic achievements are assessed once a year; if this shows you will complete your doctorate within a reasonable period, the scholarship continues as planned
⚖️ The length of the funding period is set by a selection committee and depends on your project and study plan
🔀 The grant can be used flexibly for several shorter stays during your doctoral project
🗺️ In your study plan and time schedule, outline how you intend to divide your time between Germany and your home university
✈️ Visits to other countries (for example to collect material) must be specified in your application; they can only be funded if they are connected with your stay in Germany and do not exceed one quarter of your expected total funding period
🚦 Funding must begin in 2027
Monthly Payments and Core Benefits
💶 Monthly payments of €1,400 for doctoral candidates during the stay in Germany; no scholarship payments are made during stays at your home university
🩺 Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover
🚆 Travel allowances, upon application only, for up to three outward and return journeys, unless these costs are covered by the home country or another source
🔬 A research allowance of €460
Visits From Your Supervisors
Travel and accommodation expenses, according to the German Federal Travel Expenses Law, are covered for your supervising university teachers for one trip of up to 10 days:
🇩🇪 To Germany, to monitor progress
🏠 To your home university, to take part in final examinations
Please indicate these trips in the time schedule when you apply.
Extra Benefits for Stays Longer Than 6 Months
For uninterrupted stays of over 6 months in Germany after the start of funding, you can, under certain circumstances, apply for:
🏘️ A monthly rent subsidy (Important Scholarship Information, section F, point 9)
👪 A monthly allowance for accompanying members of the family (Important Scholarship Information, section F, point 3)
Support for Disability or Chronic Illness
♿ In case of a disability or chronic illness, a subsidy may be provided on application for justified additional costs incurred abroad that are necessary to carry out the project in Germany and are not covered by a third party. Whether and to what extent a subsidy is paid is reviewed and decided individually (Important Scholarship Information, section F, point 8).
German Language Support
To help grant holders learn German in preparation for their stay, DAAD offers:
💻 Payment of course fees for an online language course after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter
🏫 If necessary, a language course of 2, 4 or 6 months before the research stay starts; DAAD decides on participation and its length depending on language skills and project, and if a language course scholarship is granted and the working language at the host institute is German, participation is compulsory
📖 An allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the funding period
🧾 Reimbursement of the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test, taken either in your home country after receiving your Letter of Award or in Germany during the funding period
Benefits from third parties are partially credited towards the DAAD scholarship (Important Scholarship Information, section F, point 6).
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How Applications Are Selected
An independent selection committee of specialist scientists reviews applications against three groups of criteria.
Criterion 1: Qualification
📊 Academic achievements (grade point average, development of grades)
📈 Academic progress
🗣️ Knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s)
📰 If applicable, scholarly achievements after graduation, such as publications, lectures and conference papers
Criterion 2: Quality of the Research Project
💡 Quality of the research proposal and preparation: originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and first contacts
🧭 Feasibility and consistency of the study plan and time schedule
🧩 Incorporation of the project within the overall doctorate, in terms of content and time, if relevant
Criterion 3: Potential of the Applicant
🚀 Career prospects: the significance of the research project and stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development
❤️ Motivation: academic and personal reasons for wanting to visit Germany, and German language skills if different from the working language
🌱 Non-study-related activities: non-study-related knowledge and skills, and civic engagement
The selection committee also gives due consideration to equal opportunities, and you can provide relevant information in the application form (Important Scholarship Information, section E).
Eligibility Requirements
🗓️ As a rule, your most recent university degree should have been obtained no more than six years before the application deadline
⏱️ If you have already started your doctorate, the start of the doctorate should not be more than 3 years before the time of application (Important Scholarship Information, section A, point 2)
🏠 Your application cannot be considered if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline
🩻 Other regulations apply to applicants from human medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry
Application Deadline by Country
The application deadline is 16.11.2026 for every country below. DAAD gives two notes on what follows the deadline, depending on the country.
16 November 2026, selection date in March 2027 for funding from October 2027:
🇦🇱 Albania
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇿 Czechia
🇬🇷 Greece
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇮🇹 Italy
🇽🇰 Kosovo
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇪 Montenegro
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇵🇱 Poland
🇷🇴 Romania
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇷🇸 Serbia
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇹🇷 Türkiye
🇻🇦 Vatican City
16 November 2026, scholarship holders with a term of 7 months or more start on 01 October 2027 at the earliest, and a selection committee decision can be expected from March 2027 at the earliest:
🇦🇲 Armenia
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇩🇰 Denmark
🇪🇪 Estonia
🇫🇮 Finland
🇬🇪 Georgia
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇲🇩 Moldova
🇳🇴 Norway
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇹🇯 Tajikistan
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
🇺🇦 Ukraine
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
Application deadlines are updated annually in the second quarter and are, in most cases, in the same period as the previous year. Applications are possible between 1 June and the stated application deadline.
Documents to Upload to the DAAD Portal
After registering on the DAAD portal, complete the online application in full and upload these documents in the 'Attachments' section. Documents may be scanned in non-certified form, although DAAD may request certified copies. Documents in your national language must be accompanied by German or English translations (Important Scholarship Information, section D, point 4).
📄 Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
📚 List of your published publications (max. 10 pages), if applicable
✍️ Letter of motivation (1-2 pages) describing your academic and personal reasons for the planned project in Germany and what you hope to gain from it personally, professionally and for your career; upload it under 'study project/motivation'
🧪 A proposal (max. 10 pages in total): a description of your research project, prepared and formulated by yourself and discussed with the academic adviser in Germany (Important Scholarship Information, section B, point 2); upload it under 'research project'
🗓️ An informal schedule for the planned research work for the entire funding period, including possible extension
🛡️ A declaration from the scientific supervisor in Germany on safety-relevant and ethical aspects of the research project, uploaded with the host's confirmation under 'Scientific ethics/research safety'
🎫 If applicable, proof of admission to or enrolment in doctoral studies at the home university, including the start date
🏅 All university degree certificates already obtained (for example Bachelor's, Master's) with final grades; if your most recent certificate is not yet available, upload a provisional document and submit the certificate before the scholarship starts; upload under 'university degree certificates'
📑 Transcripts of Records for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes showing individual grades, uploaded under 'transcript of records/academic achievements'
💌 One recent letter of recommendation from a university teacher with information about your qualifications
Option-Specific Confirmation Documents
🤝 Option A, bi-national supervision: written confirmation agreed and signed by both academic advisers, referring to your project and guaranteeing that the host institute in Germany will provide you with a workplace; your research project must have been agreed with both advisers (Important Scholarship Information, section C, point 3); upload under 'acceptance of host institution'
📜 Option B, Cotutelle model: an individual cooperation contract between the home university and the cooperating German university (Cotutelle contract); if it is not yet available, submit it before the funding period begins and upload a confirmation from your academic adviser in Germany that refers to your project; upload under 'acceptance of host institution'
🗂️ Optional: other documents supporting your application, such as certificates of employment, proof of practical training/internships or voluntary commitment
How to Apply Through the DAAD Portal
1️⃣ Register in the DAAD portal
2️⃣ Generate the recommendation form in the DAAD portal as a writable PDF under 'Create Letter of Recommendation Form' (available only during the application period), send it to your university teacher to complete in full, and upload it under 'Letter of Recommendation' when you receive it back
3️⃣ Prepare your application documents, translating them into German or English where necessary
4️⃣ Scan paper documents and save them as PDF files, as only PDFs can be uploaded; upload translations together with the original-language document
5️⃣ Fill out the application form, upload the documents and submit the application online
Important Rules Before You Submit
✅ Your application is only valid if all required documents are submitted to the DAAD portal by the application deadline
🕛 The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs (CET or CEST) on the last application day; if possible, do not apply on the final date in case technical problems occur
🚫 Incomplete applications cannot be considered, and you are responsible for making sure your application is complete
🔒 The application documents remain with DAAD, and your personal data is stored in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and the EU Data Protection Regulation as needed to process the application
🚪 Access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running
Where to Get Help
🎙️ In many countries, DAAD lecturers can answer questions about studying or conducting research in Germany
📞 For technical questions your local information and advice centres cannot answer, contact the DAAD portal by email or call the technical portal hotline on weekdays from 9-12 and 14-16 (CET/CEST) on +49 (0) 228 882-8888, allowing for processing times
📚 Further reading on the DAAD side includes 'Important information for DAAD scholarship applicants', 'Doing a PhD and Research in Germany', 'Research in Germany' and 'GERiT (German Research Institutions)'
Browse more fully and partly funded study opportunities in the Scholarships section on Youth Works Hub →.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the sandwich model and Cotutelle?
In the sandwich model, your home university awards the doctorate and a German academic adviser co-supervises your project during research trips to Germany. In the Cotutelle model, an individual cooperation agreement between the two universities leads to a doctoral degree awarded jointly by the German university and your home university.
How much does the DAAD Cotutelle grant pay?
Doctoral candidates receive €1,400 per month during their stay in Germany, plus insurance payments, travel allowances on application and a €460 research allowance. No scholarship payments are made during stays at the home university.
How long can the funding last?
Funding covers between 7 and a maximum of 24 months, and it can be split flexibly into several shorter stays. Academic progress is assessed once a year.
What is the application deadline?
For all 40 countries listed in this article, the deadline is 16 November 2026, and the DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs CET on that day. Funding must begin in 2027.
Can I apply if I already started my doctorate?
Yes, provided the start of your doctorate is not more than 3 years before the time of application. Your most recent degree should also, as a rule, be no more than six years old at the deadline.
Can I apply if I already live in Germany?
Your application cannot be considered if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.
Do I need to speak German?
Selection considers knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s), and German skills are weighed if they differ from the working language. DAAD also funds online and pre-departure German courses and reimburses TestDaF or DSH test fees.
Which documents confirm my host in Germany?
For the sandwich model, you need a confirmation signed by both academic advisers that guarantees a workplace at the German host institute. For Cotutelle, you need the Cotutelle contract or, if it is not yet ready, a confirmation from your German academic adviser.
Deadline
⏳ 16 November 2026
Links
Scholarship database entry and application portal: https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?detail=57507783
Short link: https://www.daad.de/go/en/stipa57507783
Rules for human medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry: https://www.daad.de/extrainfo
Technical portal support: portal@daad.de
